Vehicle-top.



A. RITCHIE.

VEHIOLB TOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. 1911.

1,026,368. Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-11331 1.

A. RITCHIE.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED IHAE. 13, 1911. 1,026,368. Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ALEXANDER RITCHIE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1912.

Application filed March 13, 1911. Serial No. 614,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER RITCHIE, citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of WVayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful, Improvements in Vehicle-Tops, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a vehicle top, and has for an object toprovide a top more particularly adapted to motor vehicles.

The invention has for one object to provide a top which is soconstructed that the supporting structure of the top is connected to thesides of the body of the vehicle by a pair of vertically disposed bowsfor each seat of the vehicle, thereby eliminating the diagonal bows andarms which usually extend up from the seats of the vehicle and make itdifficult to gain access to or egress from the vehicle.

The invention has for another object to provide a vehicle top havingrelatively small bows at the ends to which the terminal portions of thetop fabric are attached and which are adjustable to enable the forwardportion of the top to be disposed into parallel relation to thesupporting members when the top is folded and thus protect the lining ofthe top and obviate the necessity for employing a dust shield.

This invention still further contemplates a top which includes but fewparts, the same being so arranged and hingedly supported upon the mainbows that a substantial structure is produced which can be quicklyfolded and set up, and one which may be economically manufactured.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference isto be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a vehicle having the top applied thereto,part of the same being disclosed in section; Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the top folded down upon the seat of the vehicle and without thefabric cover; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one end of the top; Fig. 1 isa side elevation of the top folded, with the fabric cover in section;Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the braces; Fig. 6 is a detail view ofthe connection between the bow and one of the spacing bars; Fig. 7discloses a modified form of the hinged joint between the spacing barsand the ribs; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a motor vehicle havingtwo seat-s and a modified form of the improved top applied thereto.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings 10 desi ates the body of a motor vehicleprovided in the usual manner with the top irons 11 and the top props 12.The top irons 11 are shown as disclosed at the sides of the seat of thevehicle 10 adapted to receive studs 13 projecting outwardly from thelower ends of sockets 14 and held in such position by cotter pins 15. Amain intermediate bow 16 is fitted in the sockets 14: at itsopposite'ends and adapted to extend up over the body 10. The sockets 1 1are provided at their forward edges and adjacent to their lower endswith outstanding'ears 17, and carry at their rear edges and adjacent totheir upper ends outstanding ears 18. The intermediate how 16 is alsoprovided at its forward and rear edges with a pair of registering upperears 19 receiving therethrough studs 20 formed upon the inner ends offorward and rear spacing bars 21 and 22 respectively. Cotter pins one ofwhich is shown at 23 in Fig. 6 pass through the outer ends of the studs20 to detachably hold the spacing bars 21 and 22 upon the upper end ofthe bow 16. A cover 24 is disposed over the bow 16 and is supported atits forward and rear edges upon smaller arched terminal bows 25. Thearched terminal bows 25 are attached to the outer ends of the spacingbars 21 and 22 by hinges 26. The upper edges of the terminal bows 25 areprovided with upstanding apertured e'ars 27 which hingedly support theouter ends of braces 28.

The braces 28, as disclosed in Fig. 5, are each formed of a flat barhaving laterally extending studs 29 at their opposite ends adapted forengagement in the ears 27 and in upstanding apertured ears 30 carriedupon the upper edges of the spacing bars 21 and 22 adjacent to theirouter ends. Each 1 outer ends of the studs 29 to detachably hold thebraces 28 in position.

As will be noted from Fig. 1 the adjacent ends of the spacing bars 21and 22 and their bows 25 are beveled so as to limit the upward swingingmovement when the top is set up, and the forward braces 28 applied,-

but which permits the forward terminal bows to be folded into parallelrelations to the spacer bars 22, as shown in Fig. 2. A retaining strap32 is disposed between the back of the seat of the vehicle 10 and therear end of the to 24 for the purpose of holding the top rom swingingforward, while a forward retaining strap 33 is disposed between theforward end of the top '24 and the body 10.

From Fig. 7 it will be noted that the hinge 26 may be eliminated andthat the outer end of the spacing bar 21, or 22, may be provided with anapertured extension 26 for engagement between a pair of spacedaperturedears 26 formed, or carried upon, the ends of the rib 25. Arivet 26 engages through the ears 26 and the extension 26 to {)iingedlysupport the rib upon the spacing arr It will be noted by reference toFig. 1

that the apertured ears 30 are so spaced upon the outer ends of thespacing bars that one set of the ears are adapted to receive the studs29 when the spacing bars are in a horizontal position, and that theother set of the ears receive the studs 29 when the bows 25 are turneddown into longitudinal alinement with the spacing bars. It will also benoted by reference to Figs. 2 and 4 that the forward terminal bows areadapted to be turned into parallel relation to the spacer rods 21 whenthe braces 28 of the forward bow are released from the ears 30 as shownin Figs. 2 and 1, and thus fold the portion of the top 24 which islocated over the forward terminal bow 25 over the lining of the top atthe forward portion and protect the same, as hereafter explained.

In Fig. 8 is disclosed a slight modification of the invention, whereinthe top is adapted for application to motor vehicles having two seats.In this modified form 16 designates a pair of spaced bows mounted in asimilar manner to the bow 16 and supporting an elongated top 245. Thespacing bars 21 and 22 are mounted in brackets 19 carried respectivelyupon the forward and rear edges of the forward and rear bows 16. In allother respects the construction is the same, the modification consistingof the pro vision of two intermediate bows having the forward and rearmechanism mounted respectively thereon in lieu of the singleintermediate bow carrying the forward and rear mechanism at its oppositesides.

When it is desired to collapse or fold the top the studs 20 of thespacing bars 21 and 22 are removed from the upper ears 19 of the bow 16and positioned in the lower ears 17 and 18'respectively. The forwardretaining straps 33 are now released from the body 10 when the top canbe swung back upon the props 12. The braces 28 of the rear terminal boware removed fromthe inner ears 30 and positioned in the outer ears,whereby the rear terminal bows 25 are swung down into alinement with thespacing bars 22, and the braces 28 of the forward terminal removed andthe forward terminal bow folded into parallel relations to the spacermembers 21 as shown in Figs. 2 and I. This arrangement positions the topin a compact folded position so as to occupy but small space upon therear end of the machine. This arrangement also provides sufiicientprotection to the lining of the top, as before stated, and thus obviatesthe necessity for employing a dust shield.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A vehicle top including an intermediate bow, pairs of spacing rodshingedly connected to the intermediate bow and extended forwardly andrearwardly from thesame, terminal bows hinged to the rods, a fabriccover engaging over the various bows, braces detachably connectedrespectively to said terminal bows and to said rods and adapted tosupport the terminal bows in iiiclined position relative to the rods orin longitudinal V alinement to the same, the forward termi nal bow beingalso foldable into parallel relation with the forward rods to provideprotection to the lining of tl e cover.

2. A vehicle top including an intermediate hinged supporting bow, pairsof oppositely extending spacing rods adjustably carried upon theintermediate bow, terminal bows hinged upon the outer ends of thespacing rods and adapted to swing against the lower sides thereof,braces carried upon the terminal bows, and means for adjustablyconnecting said braces with the rods.

3. In a vehicle top, sockets adapted to be hingedly connected to avehicle body and provided with apertured ears extending forwardly andrearwardly of the same, an intermediate bow engaging by its terminals insaid sockets and provided with forwardly and rearwardly extendingperforated ears, spacing rods adapted to be connected at their innerends to the ears of the bows when the top is extended and to the ears ofthe sockets when the top is folded, terminal bows hinged to the outerends of the rods, a

cover engaging over the various bows, In testimon whereof, I afiix mysignature bracels lswinging1 at one End gpm slalid terin presence 0 twowitnesses.

mlna ows, an means or a usta y connecting said braces to the rods,whereby the ALEXANDER RITCHIE terminal bows may be retainediin upwardlyWitnesses:

inclined position or in longitudinal aline- J OSEPH MEDDA,

ment with the rods. OHAs. F. GRAHN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

